An XMas Carol
by sweet-n-sassy928
Summary: Kitty finds out Rogue is a bit of a Scrooge. Of course, she plans to fix this with a little help from Remy, Emma, and... another mystery guest . An X twist on a Christmas classic.
1. We Must Exterminate the HumBUGS

**A/N: Thanksgiving has passed, so I have decided it is officially okay to start being Christmas-y :D! **

**I do not own X- Men Evolution.**

"I just don't understand!" Kitty whisper hissed once Rogue was out of hearing distance, stomping up the last two steps. Kitty leaned forward.

Remy shrugged at her, his brow furrowed. "She is-"

"Ridiculously cantankerous like, at all times?"

"Complex." Remy smirked.

"We need to fix this." Kitty crossed her arms over her chest.

"Chaton," he cocked an eyebrow at her. "Has it ever occurred to you dat some things just don't need fixing?"

She glared at him. "Yes." Her eyes narrowed. "This is not one of those things."

"What do you care? You're Jewish!"

She stamped her foot. "It doesn't matter! It's in the spirit of the season!" His incredulous look pushed her forward. "My parents used to buy me a Christmas tree- so I wouldn't feel left out."

He couldn't contain his chuckling- though he put his fist over his mouth at her scowl. Then she socked him, and he shut up.

"Ow!"

"Yeah!" She said. "Come on- didn't you just say it was your favorite? Doesn't it like, bother you that she can't be joyful- even at this time of the year?"

"Some things just aren't your place."

"We're her friends!" Kitty smiled. "Everything is our place."

He sighed. Knowing there would be no dissuading Kitty, he figured he might as well join her (he loved being mischievous anyway- bugging Rogue was one of his favorite hobbies, right up there with pick pocketing and flirting).

"You even got a plan chaton?"

"As a matter of fact," She lunged over to the laid out Christmas decorations, picking up a small, ancient, leather bound book. "I do."

"You rang?" Emma leaned against the doorway, a smirk on her face. Kitty grinned a devilish grin. Remy rubbed a hand over his face- this could not end well.

_**Ten Minutes Earlier**_

Rogue slammed the door shut behind her, kicked off her boots, and whacked the snow off her sleeves. A deep scowl rooted itself in her face.

"Ugh!" She grunted.

Kitty's eyes widened; she looked over at Remy, but he could only shrug.

"What did you do now?" She mouthed at him.

"I didn't do anything!" He mouthed back. _Why is it always Remy's fault?_

"Someone is cranky." Bobby mused behind Rogue's back.

In a fluid, graceful swipe, she pulled off her glove and grabbed him by the ear. He plopped to the ground like a 400 pound man after the cardio machine.

Kitty and Remy's jaws fell. They turned to each other and blinked, and then back at Rogue.

"What?" She snapped.

"I loathe Bobby as much as the next girl," Kitty bit her lip, "But wasn't that a little harsh?"

Rogue examined the passed out, over glorified ice machine on the floor. "He'll wake up." She folded her arms over her chest. "In a few hours…"

Kitty mulled it over- _this is worse than usual. Much worse…_

"What happened?" Kitty asked. Remy shot her a sharp glare, mentally urging her to cut her losses and let it go. But, it was Kitty- it wouldn't be her if she took his advice.

"Stupid carolers scared the crap out of me." Rogue muttered. "Made me fall in a snow bank."

Kitty giggled, receiving a sharp glare. "But everyone loves carolers." She said, instantly turning off the chuckles.

"Ah don't."

"But they're like, one of the many embodiments of the season!"

Again, Remy's face screamed 'Shut it! Quit while you're ahead!'

"Maybe Ah don't like the season!"

All went quiet.

"Cherie," Gambit finally broke his silence. Even he couldn't let that one slide. "It's da most wonderful time of da year," he said, standing like he was making a speech. "Christmas is mon vacances prefers."

"Peace on Earth, and good will toward men!"

"I swear off stealing." Remy said. "For a whole month."

"Even Emma's a little more cheery."

"And Logan- le carcajou- is jolly." Remy added. "Well, as jolly as Logan can be."

"Ah just don't like Christmas okay?" Rogue stormed to the stairs. "Bah humbug!"

Kitty's hand cupped over her mouth; Remy let out an audible gasp.

"Looks like we've got ourselves a regular Scrooge." Remy said after an appalled silence.

**A/N: Well, there it is. First chapter. More to come soon ;)  
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	2. Sunny Dais Chasing the Scrooge Away

**A/N: I do not own X- Men Evolution.**

**As a quick note, the stuff in brackets are things Rogue can't hear/ doesn't know are going on between Kitty, Remy, and Emma. You'll see… Onward!**

Rogue slammed the door behind her, nothing in her hands but her keys- she refused to make any purchases until after "The Holidays" (which, unfortunately, included not purchasing snacks… which left her unnaturally ornery).

Kitty's eyes wandered up from the Solitaire game on her iPod. She smiled for a fraction of a second, before plucking the buds from her ears, turning off the festive track. She rushed over to the stairs.

"Hi Rogue!" Kitty beamed before hustling up the steps.

"Hi." Rogue's brow furrowed. "What? No questions about my lack of supernatural joy?" She yelled up the stairs as her peppy friend made her escape.

Kitty swiveled from the top and shrugged. She turned back around, a wicked little smirk painted on her face.

At dinner, Rogue mostly stared. Kitty was acting weird- like more weird than normal. The whole day, she'd been giving her very careful/ creepy smiles- like some kind of nurse from the Happy Homes psych ward. And she'd been extra careful in not alluding to the holidays. In fact, she said little about _anything_.

"Can you pass the butter?" It was sort of a test question (though she did like her butter).

Wordlessly, with one of those creeper psych ward smiles, Kitty handed her the tray of soft golden spread. Rogue shuddered.

"What did you do to her?" She turned to Remy. "Some weird bayou voodoo or something?"

He just shrugged in response. "Why is everything always my fault?" He muttered.

_This is really getting weird_- even Remy wasn't taking the time to bother her.

"Just consider it her gift to you." Logan tipped a glass of what could only be Christmas spirits down his throat.

Emma didn't say a word, just sipped at her calorie free Evian.

Rogue squinted at the four of them.

Nothing.

She pushed her plate away from her. They milled around at their dinners.

It was a late dinner- the clock read 9:32 PM.

"Okay then." She cleared her plate and glass. "Ah'm going to check out for the night." So what if it was super early- this mix of weirdness and holiday joy was making her itch. They smiled up at her, dumb.

She plowed up the stairs with the awkward feeling that they were watching her.

"She's gone!" Kitty gasped, finally turning her head away from the stair case as Rogue turned the corner.

"Make it more obvious next time." Remy muttered.

Kitty frowned, but ignored the dig- in the spirit of the holidays (and because she needed his help). Her gaze darted to Emma, who smirked a little bit. They excused themselves and muddled down to the empty rec room.

"Stage one of operation X-Mas is ago," Kitty said with a devilish smile.

"I have to make sure she's asleep first," Emma rolled her eyes, probing around the Goth's thoughts. "Yep. She's out." The blond nodded with a sarcastic smirk.

"Alright then," Kitty said, tapping her fingers together like an evil… evil person. "You're up."

Rogue turned in her bed- she rolled over, shuffled the pillows, smoothed the blankets. Nothing worked. It was weird though- a few moments ago, she could have sworn she was asleep. Whatever. Her mind had probably just glazed over in order to stop thinking about "_Christmas this_," and "_Christmas that_".

_Silly Rogue_.

"What the-" She sat up in her bed, a voice that was clearly not her own disturbing her thoughts.

_Humbugs are for Scrooges_.

"Emma?" She asked the empty air.

_No, it's Martha Stewart._

[_"Easy on the sarcasm Emma- we're trying to win her over." Kitty scowled. Emma rolled her eyes._]

Rogue scanned the empty room, really not in the mood for mind games.

_Over here._

Rogue turned to the glow of the muted television on the other side of the room. _Ah thought I turned that off..._

_Apparently not._

Rogue glowered. This was why she didn't like telepaths.

Emma, in a white tank dress and white shrunken blazer, stood next to a five day forecast.

[_"You really do look like Sunny Dais." Gambit snickered._

_"Shut up." Emma glared._]

_Mind turning up the volume?_

"Depends- does that mean you'll talk more?"

_Or we can sit here having a mental conversation. It's really up to you._

Rogue popped the volume on.

"What are you doing?" Rogue snapped. This was a very weird end to a very weird day, and she was getting annoyed. She didn't even know why she was going along with this nonsense. It was Emma for goodness' sake.

"I'm here to teach you a lesson." She said, with an irritating smile.

"You? Teach me a lesson?" Rogue snorted. "We aren't even really sure your moral compass points north."

"The ends justify the means," she shrugged. "Either you learn your lesson or you'll become-" [_"We can't tell her yet!" Kitty hissed_] Emma bit her lip.

Rogue's brow contorted into a skeptical look.

"Your hostile anti-Christmas attitude is harshing everyone's mellow- if you don't get some cheer going, your fate is sealed."

"Did Kitty put you up to this?"

The blond smiled knowingly. "You'll be visited by three spirits," She gestured to the side of her, in true weather girl fashion, at the blacked out silhouettes next to her: a girl, a boy, and a… mysterious, genderless blob?

This was all sounding oddly familiar…

"Learn your lesson, or suffer the consequences." She shrugged. "Your choice."

The television fizzled out with a loud pop, and the room went black.

**A/N: End of chapter two=)**

**So… if Emma was our (modified) Marley… I'll give you one guess as to who are Ghost of Christmas Past is;) **


	3. The Ghost of Kitmas Past

**A/N: I do not own X- Men Evolution.**

"Whoa." Rogue sat up right, rigid as a plank. She should have known better than to go to sleep so soon after eating a dinner _Bobby_ prepared. She shuddered. No wonder she was having freaking scary dreams. _With Emma there, it was more like a nightmare._ This made her snicker- in spite of her usual anti- laughter policy at this time of year.

Kitty lay across the room, passed out in her bed. Rogue squinted at her. _There's always the possibility that it wasn't just a dream_. It was a level that Kitty defiantly was not above. Especially not with all that 'peace and good will toward men' crap coursing through her veins. But as for right now, it was one in the morning, and she preferred to give her the benefit of the doubt.

"What the…"

She was being awakened by… were those sleigh bells? Really? Really.

"Rotten lousy good-for-nothing out of tune morons." She muttered at the window, getting up to close it.

"It's closed."

"Ah!" Rogue jumped. She swiveled around into fighting position, but relaxed in surprise when she saw "Kitty?"

"No you silly goose!" She said. "I'm like, the ghost of Christmas past. I've taken on this form to make you like, more comfortable."

She was glowing (literally, not in the 'she's so happy and she looks ethereally pretty' way) in a cream, knee length, Grecian reminiscent dress, and her air was down, with a wreath of golden holly functioning as a crown- but that was definitely Kitty.

"Did you really just call me a silly goose?" Her brow knit. This had to be a dream- the real Kitty would have never said that, because the real Rogue would have decked her for it.

_["Silly goose?" Emma repeated._

"_You did it your way, I'll do it mine."]_

"I'm here to show you the Christmases that have already come to pass." Kitty- er, the 'Ghost of Christmas Past' said.

"You know, this is all starting to sound vaguely ripped off."

[_"We should have done something more original." Emma rolled her eyes again._

"_It's a classic!" Kitty scoffed._

_Remy shrugged. "It was affective for Scrooge, non?"_

"_That was a book." Emma said, receiving two dangerous glares. "Fine. Whatever."_]

"It's all part of the lesson, Rogue." Glowy Kitty said with a gentle smile. "What harm could it do?"

Reluctantly, Rogue placed her hand in Kitty's- if anything, just to shut her up.

"Where are we?"

"Silly Rogue- this is _your_ memory. You know where we are."

"I swear Kitty- call me silly one more time-"

"Ah- hem."

"Ah am not calling you the Ghost of Christmas Past." Rogue's arms crossed over her chest. "That's just ridiculous."

"Ugh!" Kitty glowered. "How about 'Spirit'? Can we agree on Spirit?"

Rogue rolled her eyes and sighed, very loudly, like this was the worst burden to ever be bestowed on her. "Fahn- _Spirit_." (She sneered, very reluctantly)

"Do you know where we are right now?"

Rogue mulled it over. "This is Mystique's place-" She walked over to a frosty window. "Me and Destiny and her used to all spend Christmas here." She turned to the… uh… _Spirit_. "Why are you showing me this old witch?"

"To show you it wasn't _all _bad." Kitty put her hands on her hips. "Look in the window."

A young Rogue, age four, sat between a friendlier Mystique and Destiny. She opened a Christmas package- a doll.

_["Remy didn't think Rogue was da doll type."_

"_Shut up Remy." Kitty snapped. "All girls are the doll type."]_

The child in the house glowed, lit with Christmas spirit.

"See? Even evil people love Christmas." Kitty said with a satisfied smirk. "You were so happy."

"Ah begged for that stupid doll all year…" Rogue skimmed her fingers over the cold glass.

"Aw,"

"It broke three days later." And then she soured. "And a few minutes after Ah opened it, they went out to get some _liquid_ Christmas spirit, and Ah spent Christmas alone."

Ghost Kitty was stunned. She looked it too.

_["I thought you said this was a happy memory?" Kitty hissed through gritted teeth._

"_It was supposed to be!" Emma hissed back._

"_Do something!" Remy said.]_

"Moving right along then," Kitty snatched up Rogue's hand, hustling on to the next memory.

"Oh my gosh- guess where we are now!" Kitty clapped her hands under her chin like she was six.

The pair drifted over linoleum tiles, the kind only found in grade and middle school multipurpose rooms. Red and green lights spouted from the ceiling in round beams. Gangly tweens filled the space.

"Oh my…"

"Oh my gosh- spoiler! It's like, your first formal, at your junior high!" Kitty squealed. "Look at you! Aw- you were so awkward."

_["Such a way with words…"_

"_Oh come on Emma- you know she is." Kitty giggled. "It's cute!"]_

"Thanks." Rogue grunted, looking at herself; she'd been taller and thinner than all the other girls- and she was just as pale then as she was now. She wore a cranberry satin knee length dress, with long black gloves.

"And look! Your first Christmas dance is coming up!" Kitty said, cutting a rug to Jingle Bell Rock.

_["Remy don't like dis memory." He glared._

"_Oh relax. This was like, the seventh grade!" Kitty continued to dance. "This song like, totally reminds me of Mean Girls." _

_Emma rubbed her hand down her face.]_

"This is so adorable." Kitty gushed, sighing wistfully.

Rogue half smiled for a second, before hardening. "He was the only one who asked me to dance that night!" She snapped. "Dances are stupid." Her arms folded over her chest. "Can we get a move on here- Ah have sleeping to do."

Kitty frowned. "Fine."

Kitty hummed the tune of Last Christmas (the original), her mind shifting in that general direction, as they wandered through the palace of retail that is none other than the mall.

"Kitty, you are one unfocused spirit."

She shrugged. "What can I say? It's the mall- it calls to us." She hunched over and squinted like a creepy cave dweller. "My precious."

"You're alluding to the wrong book for this story."

She shrugged again. "What can I say? I'm a closet LOTR nerd."

_["Dat reminds Remy- LARPing the Friday after New Year?"_

"_Given!" Kitty shrugged._

"_Kitty! Focus!" Emma snapped.]_

"Ah knew it!" Rogue pointed a finger in Kitty's stunned face. "There's no way you aren't the real Kitty!"

"I'm taking this form to make you more comfortable!"

Rogue glared at her, stopping and folding her arms over her chest.

"Do you want to know why we're here or not?"

Rogue rolled her eyes, curiosity chewing at her.

"Over there, in front of that jewelry store,"

Staring through a spotless sheet of glass, Remy LeBeau pointed to a sparkling pair of emeralds- earrings- for the clerk to ring up.

"He's not robbing the place is he?" Rogue smirked. A very sullen look on her face, Kitty shook her head. "He's legitimately purchasing those- jewelry?" Her eyebrows rose. "Well Ah'll be."

"He didn't want to give you something that cost him nothing."

_["Aw- Remy that's so sweet." Kitty gushed. Gambit shrugged gracefully. And was that… blush? Non! It couldn't be!]_

Rogue's brow furrowed. "That's gotta be a mistake- he never gave me those."

"There in the back of his t- shirt drawer." Kitty's face went a little dark. "Because last Christmas he overheard you tell Amara how Christmas was all just a plot to get people to spend money, and that people who bought gifts for others were stupid."

[_Kitty frowned. _

_Remy frowned too, but shrugged again. "It was no big deal."]_

"You also added a nice little bah humbug in there somewhere- you know, it's funny, I'm beginning to wonder how I didn't pick up on your being a Scrooge before…" She tilted her head up thoughtfully.

"You were too blinded by your supernatural joy," Rogue said (sarcastically).

Kitty continued to gaze at the ceiling thoughtfully.

_["FOCUS!"]_

She shook off her daze. Rogue frowned at the young man, proudly carrying the black velvet box in his pocket.

"Sucks how your lack of joy ruins other people's too, huh?"

They flashed to an image of Remy, a disappointed look on his face, stashing the box under a pile of clean black shirts.

"How was Ah supposed to know?" Rogue said defensively. "Ah didn't ask him to get me anything!"

Kitty shook her head. "You still don't get it." They were back in their room. "I've done all I can."

"Wasn't that a little short?" Rogue protested. "What about Tiny Tim and all that crap?"

"You won't find your version of _Tiny Tim,_" (She snickered when she said it, knowing full well who it was) "Until your next encounter."

"You really wanna go for more?" Kitty put her hands on her hips. Rogue sheepishly shook her head. "You aren't the only humbug that needs exterminating." (She contained her giggles, for effect, but still found herself rather punny.) "I got a schedual to keep." She hit Rogue like she could have had a V8 and it was back off to dream land.

**A/N: Muahahaha (smiles with an evil glint in her eye). You knew I was going to do it. I hope you all liked spirit Kitty. (She didn't exactly make Rogue a believer. But, eh, even Dickens didn't make Scrooge convert that easily. And besides, if it had worked, there wouldn't be much of a story now would there?)**

**But (gasp!) Who will be our ghost of Christmas present? I'm sure if you give it a little thought you'll know;) And who will play our dear Tiny Tim? The answer may surprise you ;)! Stay tuned- the next chapter is bound to be a doozy! **


	4. Christmas Robe: The New Trenchcoat

**A/N: I do not own X- Men Evolution.**

"What do you think you're doing?" Rogue grasped Kitty by the shoulders and shook- without regard for her sleeping state.

Kitty grumbled and groggily rubbed her eyes. "Geez Rogue," she grumbled. Seriously, they could nominate her for an Academy Award for that one- or at least an Emmy. "What are you talking about?" She plopped back down on her pillow with a muffled thump and pulled the covers back over her head- which Rogue promptly ripped back.

"Don't you play innocent with me!" She hissed. "Ah know you're up to something!"

Kitty gave her the sympathetic 'You're losing it' look.

"Shut up!"

"I didn't even like, say anything!" Kitty snapped. She pouted; Rogue put her hands on her hips. "I know you said you don't like the holidays but seriously- all that anger must be stressing you out." She leisurely rolled onto her side. "You should get some sleep."

If Rogue were Superman… let's just say there would be some roast Kitty- quite the evil glare; but she stumbled back to her bed anyway, not prepared for a battle after her recent neurotic episodes. "Fahn!" She spat, yanking her blankets over her. "But Ah _will_ get to the bottom of this."

"Don't be so paranoid." Kitty murmured.

"I think she's onto us." Kitty pulled at her fingers nervously, as she tiptoed back into the hall. The golden glow of a single flashlight illuminated Emma and Remy's faces.

"Relax," Emma eyed her manicured nails. "I have it covered."

Rogue awoke again to the hum of Kitty's laptop.

"What are you doing?" She said, tossing out of her irksome sleep.

"Well- after I was so rudely awakened," she raised her brows. "I couldn't get back to sleep." Her blue eyes stared at the glow of the Muppets _Ringing of the Bells_ (on YouTube. Seriously guys-check it out. It's pretty amusing. At least I think so…). She giggled in her palm. "This is so funny- Animal is like, flipping hilarious!"

_Oh my gosh,_ Rogue groaned. "Are those- bells?"

"Duh."

"You don't think it's catchy Chere?"

"Ah!" Rogue jump- swiveled (Kitty gave her another one of those 'You're losing it' looks). There, in front of her, standing by the door, stood a glowy Remy LeBeau, in a regal, Christmas green, fur lined robe.

[_"It's a good look for you." Emma snickered._

"_Like a Christmas trench coat." Kitty whispered through her laughter._

"_Remy can pull of anything." He winked._]

"No. No no no." Rogue stammered, pointing a finger in his face. "You're in on this too?"

"Uh- Rogue? Who are you talking too?"

"You have him in on this too?" She turned to Kitty. "Oh that's low."

"Okay, you are officially off your rocker." Kitty stood up, making her way toward the door. She passed through glowy Remy.

"You phased through him!" Rogue forced out a laugh. "Oh this is rich. This is really rich." But then Remy flashed to the other side of the room. She slapped her hand over her open mouth.

Kitty, still with that skeptical look on her face, turned the brassy door handle. "I'm going to grab you some tea…"

When the door shut, she turned to glowy Remy, slightly gaping. "You better tell me what is going on Swamp- Rat. And don't give me that crap about 'taking this form to make me more comfortable'"

He shrugged with a thick smirk. "Den I won't tell you."

That got a nasty little scowl.

"You ready to learn some more of your lesson?" He held out a hand. She sneered at the gesture. "Or we can sit here and banter some more- Remy knows you love dat."

Begrudgingly, she took his hand. "Ah don't know how y'all are doing this- but Ah will find out. And Ah will make you sorry." She made a sour face. "And Ah am _not_ calling you spirit."

Remy shook his head, rolling his eyes. "Just hold my robe Princess."

Her jaw dropped. It was much worse than the whole 'silly goose' thing. Much worse.

"Where are we?" She snapped. "This doesn't look like one of my memories." Her arms folded over her chest. "This is just the hall way!"

Remy shook his head and tutted. "Selfish, selfish," he looked at her with a knowing little smile. "Ain't you ever read Dickens Chere? Or watched one of the cheesy old movies?"

"Ah don't like Christmas." She leaned against the wall defiantly. "Why would I watch the movies?"

[_"If it wasn't the Christmas season, I would say there is no hope for her." Emma deadpanned. _

"_But there's always hope at Christmas," Kitty looked up with awed, glossy eyes_]

"I am da Ghost of Christmas Present." He said (no duh). "And since we already know what your Christmas looks like…" He frowned with a dramatic thumbs down. "We're going to visit a few people with some real spirit."

He grabbed her hand and pulled her through the still closed door. Kitty sat on the edge of Piotr's bed, rubbing her eyes. Her knees were tucked into her chest, and Pete sat next to her, not the least bit groggy.

"She didn't even go get me tea!"

"Would you shut up and listen?"

Rogue's jaw fell. He patted his index finger against his lips, in the universal sign for 'shush'.

"I'm really worried about her- I think her anger is psychologically imploding on her."

"Psychologically imploding?"

"You know what I mean!" Kitty rolled her eyes but smiled. "I just wish she could be happy ya know? For Christmas, the holidays." She shrugged shyly.

Pete reached over, putting an arm around her, kissing her temple. "You have a good heart Katya," he smiled gently at her. "Give her time."

"What are you showing me this for?" Rogue glared back at Remy.

"Can't you see?" He pointed over to the couple harbored on the edge of the bed. "Your lack of joy isn't just poisoning you- it affects everyone else." He shook his head, grabbing her by the wrist, and dragging her to their next location.

"Well this is… Festive." She said, wandering along a string of green garland with red bows, to a large Christmas tree in the corner, decorated with a variety of Panda ornaments and multicolored lights. Candles glowed on the edge of the night stands; stockings hung underneath (posing a very obvious fire hazard). The room smelled like pine and cranberries.

The door creaked open and in walked… Logan? Carrying a plate of… sugar cookies? And a glass of… milk?

Rogue tensed.

"Relax Cherie- he can't see us."

"Ah knew that." Her shoulders dropped- but not completely.

Meanwhile, Logan settled into his bed. He dunked a frosted green Christmas tree into his glass of milk and held it in his mouth, as he pulled out a worn copy of a brown leather book, which looked like it had been through the Second World War. How coincidental- _A Christmas Carol_ (haha- that totally rhymed. Kind of).

"Other than this being insanely ironic," Rogue chuckled at Wolvie's red and green striped socks and Santa Panda pajama pants. "Why are you showing me this?"

Remy rolled his eyes, like if she caught on any slower he would have to buy her a mental treadmill. "Even da hardest of hearts warm up on Christmas," he tilted his head toward Logan, grinning. "And because it amuses Remy." He grabbed her by the hand (again), and off they were again.

"You know, Ah'm getting really sick of you dragging me around like this."

"Come on Chere- we both know no one could get sick of Remy." He winked.

She rolled her eyes. "You mind telling me where we are now?" She planted her hands on her hips.

"Da homeless shelter."

A dark figure poofed, in a cloud of smoke, next to the back door, accompanied by a big, red velvet sack.

"Kurt?"

"No," Remy drawled. "It's some other blue fuzzy teleporter." She glared at him.

Through the frosty glass of the window, in the darkened building, Kurt slipped neatly wrapped rectangles under each of the little cots in the room. He wore a funny green suit, with red pointy shoes.

"Ah didn't know Kurt gave to the less fortunate." She smiled at the corners of her lips. "Guess they don't call him the elf for nothing."

"Dere's a lot of things you don't know about Kurt," Remy mused. "Like dat he organized da institute's toy drive so dat he could give out all dese gifts. Or dat Christmas is his favorite holiday."

"Well he's German so Ah kinda had to figure." She shrugged.

Remy rolled his eyes. [_"Is she always dis difficult?"_

"_Yes." Emma said. "You're just too blinded by your love for her to see it."_]

"He's your own brother- and I bet you haven't even told him Merry Christmas." Remy cocked a brow at her.

She shrugged defensively. "He knows Ah don't like Christmas."

"Well maybe _he_ does." Remy folded his arms over his chest. "It's da season of giving."

Her eyes narrowed. "Are we done yet? Ah'd like to go back to sleep if you don't mind."

"One last stop Chere."

"So was Logan supposed to be my Tiny Tim- Kitty said Ah was supposed to see him this time around?"

"Remy thought you said you didn't watch da movies?"

"Bits and pieces." She shrugged.

For what seemed to be the thousandth time, Remy shook his head. It was all he could think to do. "No. Logan wasn't your Tiny Tim. He's our last stop."

They stood in an overly lit department store, amongst a variety of hats, scarves, and other accessories.

_Consumerism at its finest._ She rolled her eyes at the shoppers scrambling around the shelves for the "Best Deals". And then, she saw him. A teen with light brown hair and a navy blue sling on his arm.

"No." Rogue looked at Remy, wide eyed. He nodded at her. "Bobby is my Tiny Tim?"

"Wouldn't have brought you here if he wasn't." He smirked. "He sprained his wrist da other day- da way he landed when you knocked him unconscious?" His eyebrows rose incredulously.

"What does that have to do with anything?"

He tilted his head toward Bobby.

"Hi," Bobby said, trying to sound suave for the brunette sales girl. "I've got this friend I'm trying to shop for- she doesn't really like Christmas, and I'm just trying to lift her spirits." He shrugged.

"Bobby?" Rogue frowned, more curious than anything. "Is going to get me a gift? After Ah knocked him out?"

"Bobby, and not a penny to his name," Remy nodded. "Believe it or not Chere, you're teammates." He glanced over as Bobby fumbled through the racks of colorful apparel. "Christmas is a time to show people you care- when you delight in _others_' happiness." He adjusted the sleeves of his robe. "In spite of everything our little X- Family has said about giving up on you, he still believes you might change. Starting with a gift."

She frowned- not having bought anyone anything, seeing as she was on a consumption fast.

"Ah think Ah'm done here." She said with a bitter sting.

"I think so too."

**A/N: OMG! Such a long chapter… well, for me anyways=p Anything shock you? Send some feed back! (hint hint: Review guys! It's the season of **_**giving**_**! And it would **_**give**_** me great joy to get some reviews! Please =))**

**Hope you guys enjoyed! I'm so looking forward to our final spirit- I have selected the perfect Ghost of Christmas Yet To Come. MUAHAHAHAHA! HA! But seriously. Please review. Please.**


	5. The Best Is Yet To Come

**A/N: I do not own X- Men Evolution.  
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Rogue jerked awake. She rubbed her hands over her face. It was official- she had gone bonkers.

Kitty lay asleep in the bed across from her. She shuddered. Kitty's phone rang- a festive text alert of… bells.

[_"Are you sure you can do this?"_

"_I don't even have to speak." He grunted at Kitty, who scowled back at him. Remy snickered. This was rich. It was really rich._

"_Relax Chaton- he is quite the thespian." _

"_It's in the spirit of Christmas." His glare turned dangerous, and Remy shut up_]

"Alright- let's have it." Rogue groaned into the dark. The room buzzed with silence. Then collapsed into a heavy, unnerving black- no moon, or stars to bleed silvery light into the walls. She swallowed, blinking in hopes that her eyes would adjust. No luck.

Far off, beyond where the closed door would have been, a figure- in a long, black, grim reaper cloak- surrounded by a rim of dark, grey light, floated toward her.

"Alright spooky, where are we going to?"

A screeching, like claws scraping down dusty old blackboards, sounded when the figure shifted.

She shrunk down a few inches. "Spirit?" She croaked, losing her sarcasm real quick. No playing with this one. "You're going to show me things, that haven't yet come to pass- the future- right?"

The dark figure floated down further into the darkness. She scrambled up after him, following until they came to a misty plane. It was a house- small and dim and dull. The grass needed to be cut and the grayish paint peeled off the eves in thin, spirally chunks.

"Where are we?"

_Chink._

"Oh geez not you too."

A slender, adamantium claw pointed toward the door.

"Really?" Rogue placed her hand on her hip. "She did the 'big-blue-eyes' thing didn't she? That's how she sucked you into this!"

He jutted the claw forward. That awful screeching sound scraped through her ears.

"Okay, okay." She spat. She shivered as she stepped up to the crooked grayish door. "Fahn."

Inside was nightmarish. Hair matted itself in the periwinkle carpet. Two ugly, floral, old lady couches adorned the entry. It smelled like cat.

"Where are we?"

"Don't you get that I'm not supposed to talk to you?" Logan growled in his big and scary voice.

[_"Ugh! You totally just broke character!" Kitty whined._

"_Look- you want me to be the grim reaper or not?"_

"_Christmas yet to come." Remy corrected._]

Rogue shrank back.

"We're in Hades." Logan said from behind the shadow of his jumbo sized hood.

"Since we're on speaking terms, do you mind taking that off?"

He pulled the massive cloak away from his head.

[_"No! No! No!" Kitty snapped. "This isn't how it is supposed to go!"_

"_Actually, I think he's scarier with the hood off." Emma shrugged._]

"What?" Rogue tilted her head to the side.

And then, the terror really struck.

From the kitchen, carrying a jar of Chocolate Pillsbury frosting in one hand, with a clan of cats following behind her and a nasty looking cockatiel on her shoulder, a much heavier Rogue emerged- 50 or 60 pounds heavier.

"WHAT HAPPENED TO ME?" She shrieked. Her hands shot to her face. "Why do Ah have all these cats?"

Logan snorted. "Lots of things kid- all rooted in your disdain for Christmas."

"That can't be." She whispered through clenched teeth. Future Rogue sat in an ugly blue La-z-boy to watch _As the World Turns._

"The most major reason is because Gumbo left," Logan summoned shreds of a photograph. They magically pieced together in front of her. A wedding picture, of her and Remy. "He left on a Christmas, after you threw a year old fruitcake at him." He sighed. "You're anti- Christmas turned into an anti- everything. Your anger consumed your life- and you became an old maid, with 19 cats and an angry cockatiel."

A knock sounded at the door. Future Rogue heaved herself from the recliner and stomped up to open it.

"What?" She snapped.

"Hello miss," A cheerful boy with rosy cheeks said. His father waited at the bottom of the porch, next to a strapping Douglas Fir. "I'm selling Christmas trees to-"

"Ah don't want any Christmas trees!" Future Rogue roared. "Santa isn't real!"

The little boy's eyes welled up. As he ran off the porch, the cockatiel on her shoulder squawked "_Bah humbug!_"

She shook her head. "That's not possible. This isn't possible."

"But wait, there's more." Logan shot his claws out, the room spun, and they were in a hospital.

"Okay, where are we now?"

"You wanted to know what happened." He leaned his head toward the door. Uneasily, she looked in.

"Bobby?" She squinted. He was laying, perfectly still, on a hospital cot- hooked up to several machines and IV's. "What happened to him?"

"_You_!" Logan snarled. "He was the only one who hadn't given up on you by the time Remy left you. He didn't want you to spend Christmas alone, but when he showed up on your door, you sent him into a coma!"

She shook her head. "No- I wouldn't. I would never…" She didn't even have the words. She stared at the incapacitated Bobby Drake. "This doesn't have to happen though right? Ah can fix it- can't Ah?" But Logan had put his hood back on. With a _chink_ of his claws, they were back in the misty dark.

"No." She said at the squishy sound of wet grass and Earth under her feet. "Logan- don't show me this. Ah don't need to see my-"

Another of those screeching sounds.

"Not my grave!" She pleaded. "Don't show me that Ah don't get flowers and that everyone is glad that Ah'm gone. Please."

He pointed at a thick, rectangle stone with his glowy single claw. Her eyes clamped shut.

"Ah can fix this- Ah can!" She grabbed a hold of his cloak. "Why show me if Ah couldn't?" She pressed the side of her face into the black fabric. "Ah'm sorry! Ah'll learn to love Christmas! Ah will- Ah'll spread cheer and drink eggnog and apologize to Bobby! Just please- don't let me go like this."

"Not with 19 cats. Not with 19 cats. Not with 19 cats."

She murmured until she woke up, her head smashed against her pillow.

**A/N: The end draws near! Look for the wrap up on December 23!** **Please Review!**


	6. Smells Like Christmas Spirit

**A/N: I do not own X- Men Evolution.**

"Are you okay?" Kitty loomed over Rogue, with her blue eyes wide and her head tilted to the side.

"Ah'm… Ah," Rogue breathed a bit (scanning the room for left over spirits) before a smile cracked across her face. "Ah'm great." She laughed, rich and full from her chest. "Ah'm really really great!" She giggled more, throwing the covers from her bed and racing to the window. If she was going to do this, she had to do it right.

Kitty tried to knit her eyebrows- but her smirk came up anyways. She totally owed Emma a major favor. And maybe Remy too. Maybe.

Rogue jubilantly shoved the frosty window open. She scanned the snowy green.

"You there! Boy!" She called. "Boy!" He turned his head up to face her. "What day is it?"

"Did you just call me boy?" Scott, of course, was up at the crack of dawn, running the perimeter.

"What- day- is- it?" She asked again, rolling her eyes but laughing.

"It's December 23." He called back.

Her nose wrinkled up. That didn't sound quite right. "Are you sure it's not Christmas?"

He nodded his head. "Everyone is going home today, remember?" He shrugged. "Well, almost everybody."

She slammed the glass shut. Then, a grin burst forward on her face. "That means there's still time!" She ran up to Kitty and hugged her. "Kitty! There's still time! You'll know what stores are open right?" Her green eyes opened wider- like she'd forgot some critical detail. "Oh my gosh! Merry Christmas!" She hugged her pleasantly shocked friend. Her brow furrowed again. "Wait- why didn't you go home for Hanukkah?"

"Things aren't so great at home," Kitty shrugged, nonchalantly. "Pete actually asked me if I'd meet his sister because she like, came down for Christmas."

Rogue's countenance fell- genuinely and uncharacteristically concerned. "Ah'm so sorry Kitty. Ah'm so sorry Ah never asked." She hugged her friend a third time. "Ah've been so self-consumed lately. Ah promise Ah'll be better from now on."

"It's okay," Kitty chuckled. She knew she was a genius, but even she couldn't have imagined these kinds of results. "Did I hear you imply shopping?"

"Yes!" Rogue gasped. She checked the clock. "Ah have three hours to buy gifts and wrap and hand them out!" She said heading toward the door, pulling on jeans as she went. Kitty fallowed behind, smirking to herself as she pulled a coat on. Definitely owed Emma.

After plowing through a few shops, the pair returned. Even Kitty had trouble dealing with the mall crowd- but Rogue just smiled and laughed every time someone ran over her toes or cut her in line.

"Bobby!" Rogue shouted as he booked down the stairs.

"I didn't do it!" He lifted his hands to shield his face- dropping a slender rectangular package in the process. "I swear!"

Rogue laughed more. And for the first (and most likely the last) time in history, she gave him a tight squeeze. "Merry Christmas Bobby!"

His look of terror became one of disbelief. He gave a skeptical look at Kitty- just to make sure he wasn't in any danger. Kitty shook her head and shrugged. Rogue pulled away and yanked a big package, wrapped in snowman paper, from a paper bag and shoved it at him.

"Ah know it's early but Ah couldn't help myself!" She grinned. He returned with a cocked eyebrow. "Go on- open it!" She practically bounced.

He unwrapped the package. "Wow-"

"It's a slushy machine!" She shouted. "You just put the ice in and push the button and there it is- frozen syrupy goodness!" She beamed. This giving stuff was actually pretty fun.

"Wow- thanks Rogue." He grinned, picking up his own fallen package (obviously wrapped by the store clerk- no boy could pull that off) and handing it to her. "Merry Christmas."

She opened up his gift and her grin grew. A pair of new leather gloves rested inside.

"Logan!" She shouted, picking her next victim. She hugged him too. "Merry Christmas!" She shoved a box at him. She didn't know why but the smirk on her face made her feel like he knew something and that wasn't all a crazy dream. But at the moment, she didn't care.

"The Happy Happy Panda Christmas Special?" He looked at the DVD in his hands. She could swear a tear came to his eye. "Limited edition?" He looked down at her with that same smirk. "Thanks kid," He messed up her hair, and she didn't care at all.

"Ah need your help-" Rogue smiled at Kitty, who was playing with the rhinestoned pink heart necklace she'd just bought her. "Is that a Jedi braid in your hair- like you just busted a mission?"

Kitty waved her hand and scoffed. "Are we planning an ambush?"

Luckily, Rogue's supernatural Christmas spirit had also given her ADD.

When Remy walked in the door, she snuck up behind him, wrapping her hands over his eyes. Behind them, the pre-send-off mixer was getting started.

"You're da only one who wears gloves in here, Chere," He said, turning around to face her. "You're looking… joyful?" He had a similar smirk to that of Logan and Kitty's.

"Why wouldn't Ah be?" She giggled like she hadn't been all bah humbug the whole month. His brow rose and she rolled her eyes. "You want your gift or not?"

"Gift?" But before he could finish, she stuffed it in his hands. He opened it carefully, sliding his fingers under the heavy gold paper. He chuckled when he saw what she'd bought him.

"Ah was thinking- what do you get the guy who can steal anything he wants," She laughed. "This just sort of reminded me of you."

He pulled out the green, faux fur lined robe, monogrammed with his initials on the chest pocket.

"Remy can pull it off."

"That's exactly what Kitty said!" She wrinkled her brows. The glint in his eyes almost gave him away. "Did Kitty-"

"We're breaking tradition."

"What?" She looked up in his ruby eyes.

He pointed up at the mistletoe above them in the door way. She rolled her eyes; but, without complaint, tilted her face up and pecked him on the lips. A small Christmas miracle: he did not pass out. But he did blush like no other.

He bowed in front of her, like an old school gentleman. "May I have dis dance, Chere."

"You may."

He smirked, taking her gloved hand. "Remind me I have a gift for you."

"Oh Ah will."

_And she lived with that spirit year round- making Christmas the merriest time of the year for everyone. _Emma leaned against the doorway, arms across her chest, as she sent her telepathic message to Kitty (who winked, not needing to further mention her awesomeness).

And Bobby held up his glass, cheering out "God bless us! Everyone!"

**A/N: Yay! Happy Ending!**

**Merry Christmas :D**


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